Tag Archives: PTSD

Heartwarming and Touching New Contemporary Romance from Victoria Bylin

After two broken engagements, nurse practitioner Mia Robinson is done with dating. From now on, she only trusts herself and God, and she’s focused on her eighteen-year-old sister, Lucy, and caring for patients. Just as she applies to work for an international aid organization, a phone call from Lucy, who’s pregnant and running off to marry her twenty-one-year-old boyfriend, throws a wrench into all of Mia’s plans.

Jake Tanner may have recovered from the physical injuries he sustained on the job as a police officer, but his heart has yet to heal from losing his former partner in the tragedy. He’s poured himself into starting a camp for the sons of fallen officers and mentoring Sam, the adult son of his deceased partner, who’s asked him to be his best man at his wedding.

Mia is expecting a mess when she arrives to sort out the situation with Lucy, but she wasn’t expecting Jake. And Jake, who can’t help envying Sam and Lucy, doubts he’ll ever experience their happiness for himself. But maybe Jake’s courage and Mia’s caring spirit are just what they need to bring them a lifetime of healing and a forever kind of love. . . .

My Review:

PTSD, broken engagements, teen pregnancy, wounded warriors and hurt people, hurting other people seemed to be the theme of this novel. It was done very well.

The only complaint I would have was the childbirth scene needed a bit more research. But other than that, this was an amazing contemporary novel that handled the issues very well. I found the twists with the F-NP to really fun to see a different career path as well as the detective with hearing loss as the hero.

This book was given to me for review by Netgalley and the opinions contained herein are my own.

Thirteen years ago, Natalie lost a part of herself when her twin sister died. Will traveling back to the family winery finally put the memory to rest, or will it completely destroy her?

When Natalie Mitchell learns her beloved grandfather has had a heart attack, she’s forced to return to their family-owned winery in Sonoma, something she never intended to do.

Tanner Collins, the vintner on Maoilios, is trying to salvage a bad season and put the Mitchell family’s winery back in business. When Natalie Mitchell shows up, Tanner sees his future about to be crushed. Natalie intends to close the gates, unless he can convince her otherwise.

But finding freedom from the past means facing it.

My Review:

Do you ever read a book that leaves you a bit feeling “hung over” when you are done? You don’t really want to pick up another book, because this one was just so good?
That is how this book was for me. The main character, as we dug into her past, her heart and her struggles, we see the breakdown of PTSD for laymen. We can see what it did to her, how it harmed her life, even years after the incident.
I felt like this made this book unique. It was not the setting, but the people that made this book uniquely special. If you are not someone that has known someone in your everyday life that has PTSD, this may help you understand it, but also relate to the story of a normal, everyday person, not off a battle front, that struggles, but is gifted in many ways still.
I loved the setting in wine country, and learned a few things about wine making that I did not know before. Catherine West has given us another masterpiece of fiction. It is more than fiction, it is a tale of forgiveness, grace, and overcoming when everything is against us.

One Plucky Female Pharmacist + One High-Society Naval Officer = Romance–and Danger
For plucky Lillian Avery, America’s entry into World War II means a chance to prove herself as a pharmacist in Boston. The challenges of her new job energize her. But society boy Ensign Archer Vandenberg’s attentions only annoy–even if he “is” her brother’s best friend.
During the darkest days of the war, Arch’s destroyer hunts German U-boats in vain as the submarines sink dozens of merchant ships along the East Coast. Still shaken by battles at sea, Arch notices his men also struggle with their nerves–and with drowsiness. Could there be a link to the large prescriptions for sedatives Lillian has filled? The two work together to answer that question, but can Arch ever earn Lillian’s trust and affection?
Sarah Sundin brings World War II to life, offering readers an intense experience they won’t soon forget.

My Review:

What can you say about a book that seems to be the perfect read? I am not sure how I could be more of a fan of Sarah Sundin, but I have to say, I enjoyed every word of this novel.

The quirky characters, the mystery and the underlying trademark of Ms. Sundin’s depth of character dealing with tough topics and flaws.

I loved the touch on PTSD in the early days of WW2. I feel we do not have enough books that talk about characters that struggling with this. Often people imagine someone that is described as “shell shocked” as someone that cannot function beyond sitting and staring. This book met the challenge and showed Arthur as able bodied man that was dealing with the aftermath of a traumatic event.

I am so looking forward to reading more of Sarah Sundin’s books as she writes them! They are worth the time. You can purchase a copy right here! It is only $8.64 for a paperback copy right now. Anchor in the Storm by Sarah Sundin

Two lives taken down different roads – one enduring love – one shot at starting over.
If only they believed in second chances.

Julia Connelly is finally free from twelve long years in an abusive relationship. Now able to live the life she’s longed for, Julia takes her two children back home to Vermont, hoping for peace and healing. The last person she expects to see is the man she eloped with at eighteen—who then abandoned her two months into their marriage, with little explanation.

When an assignment in the Middle East ends in tragedy, popular news correspondent, Reid Wallace, returns to his hometown seeking answers and peace of mind.

Confronting his past was not in the plan.

My Review:

I am always looking for books that deal with real life topics, but are not cliche. This book hit the spot for me on that. The characters are real feeling, they are not perfect. The topics that this book deals with spousal abuse, alcoholism, PTSD, as well as touching on corruption in the media. They were covered in a way where you did not feel like you were give too much detail to make it graphic, but enough to envision the picture.
I didn’t want to put the book down. I almost missed a meeting I had to go to as I took a break from housecleaning to start it and didn’t notice the time.
Forgiveness and healing are the themes of this book. Ms. West shows how faith can bring forgiveness, even when it was not asked for, in really tough situations. She demonstrates the rebuilding of relationships when it is not easy as well. I loved how it didn’t happen fast, but she managed (which is a talent), to spread it out over a decent time period, without making the book drag at all. I really enjoyed this book and will be looking for more by this author.